Valve-rotating mechanism



M. O. ANTHONY VALVE ROTATING MECHANISM Filed June 23, 1920 April 26 19 27.

Patented Apr. 26, 1927;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS O. ANTHONY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CONTINENTAL ENGINEER- ING CORPORATION, 01 OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A COREORATION.

VALVE-ROTATING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 23, 1920.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the general art of gas engines and is more specifically directed to a rotator adapted for use in connection with the valve mechanisms therefor.

It has been previously attempted, on a number of occasions, to provide a rotating mechanism adapted for use in connection with poppet valves of a gas engine, but these have generally been held defective owing to their complicated natures or else an objectional click present therein during their operation. It is highly essential that structures-of this character be simple, durable and eiiicient and one that will actuate in a noiseless manner.

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to overcome all of these disadvantages by providing a structure of an extremely simple nature and one that is entirely free from the objectionable click. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotator which is adapted to rotate the valve during its seating stroke. The advantage gained here will be clearly obvious to those skilled in the art, in that the rotation of the valve during its seating action results in a slight wiping of the seat, there by removing from the face of the valve, or the seat, the carbonaceous deposits which usually form thereon. This destructive agent, if not removed and allowed to accumulate on the parts mentioned, will result in the pitting of the valve face or its seat which ultimately interferes with the proper functioning of the engine.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotating mechanism which may be very easily and readily adapted to the standard form of poppet valve now used whether the same be the inlet or the exhaust valve of the engine.

These and other objects will readily present themselves to those skilled in this art upon reading the following specification, in connection with the attached drawings, in which I have merely shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will of course be understood that specific variations therefrom may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein simi- Serial No. 391,206.

lar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a fragmentary view taken in section through a portion of the internal combustion engine and showing the valve rotating mechanism in elevation applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the actuating mechanism for accomplishing the rotative motion to the valve stem.

Figure 8 is a side elevation ofa member that is afiixed to the valve stem.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the aiiined member shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the locking ring for frictionally locking the cap in applied position over the ailiXed member.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the actuating means for accomplishing the intermittent motion to the rotating mechanism.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 6. t

Figure 8 is a plan view of thering member.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the ring shown in Fig. 8.

' Figure 10 is a plan view of the cap member.

Figure 11 is a sectional view of the ca shown in Fig. 10.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a cylinder of an explosive engine, 2 the valve casing attached thereto, 3 a valve seat and 4 the inlet valve stem having a valve head 5 at the end thereof. The valve stem is surrounded by an expansible spring 6 which is held under the state of compression against the usual cross key 7 extending through the lower end of the valve stem i. All or the parts so fardcscribed are of the usual standard construction and no claim thereto is made in this application. It is'to this general type of valve that the present improvement is adapted to be attached.

The essential structures embodied in the present case involves what 1 term a clutch mechanism which, in its assembled relation, is attached to the lower portion of the valve stem 4, and an actuator for said clutch member comprising a yoked member stationarily held in position against the under face of the valve casing of the engine. This actuator cooperates with the clutch mechanism so to impart a rotary impulse to the valve stem during the seating stroke oi the valve.

In dealing with the clutch mechanism shown, it will be noted that the member designated 8 is provided with a central bore 9 for the reception of the valve stem 1, and the under face of this member is notched as at 1010, for receiving the cross key 7 on the valve stem 4;. The member 8 has a central upstanding body portion indicated at 11, the upper surface of which is grooved as at 12 forming one wall of a ball raceway. A toothed member designated 13 is provir d on its under face with pins Li, and this toothed member is arranged to snugly tit 'he upstanding body portion 11 of the member 8 and is held from rotation thereon when the pins are inserted in openings 15 in the member 8. While I have described and shown this toothed member as being a separate element of the structure it may he, and prei'erably is, made as an integral part thereof. On the body portion 11, slightly above the member 13, is a groove 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter referred to. responding in height to the teetl ot the member 13 and slightly spaced from the peripheral edges thereof is a ring 17. This ring): is rotatably supported on the member 8 and coacts with the toothed member 13 to form a clutch through the interpositioning of balls 18. This ring is also provided with diametrically out-standing .lugs 19 for a purpose hereinafter described. In order that these parts, so far described, might be held in an assembled relation to permit of their attachment or removal as an entirety to or from the valve, I provide a locking cap designated 20. This cap has a peripheral flange against which the low-er end of the expansible spring 6 bears, and is also provided with a central recess designated 22 which is adapted to fit over the upper end of the upstanding body portion 11 on the member 8. A ball raceway 23 is also provided within the recess 22, between which and the groove 12 in the upper surface of the upstanding body portion of the member 8 bearings 24: are placed. Arranged within the recess of this cap there is positioned a locking ring 25 which, when the cap is placed over the parts of the clutch, snaps into the groove 16, thereby locking the entire mechanism in an assembled relation, in which condition it may, as a. unit, be attached to or removed from the valve stem.

The actuating means. whereby the clutch mechanism may be given the necessary rotary impulses, consists oi a yoke-shaped member, the head portion 26 of which has a central opening therein to permit the passage of the valve stem and depending from opposite sides of the head portion 26 are arms 2727. These arms 27-27 have enlarged terminal portions indicated at 28 which are slotted as shown at This actuator, when in position, is adapted to be held in its place of anchorage within a cir cular undercut portion on the valve casing by the upper end of the expansible spring 6 engagingthe inner face of the he: d portion 26; Also, it desired, the head portion may be notched as at 80 to receive a pin 31 integrally secured to the valve casing. This prevents relative rotary movement between the actuator and the casing which is likely to happen during the constant vibi tions of the engine while in operation. The arms 272T depend externally of the sides of the spring 6 and are or a sufiicient length so that the lugs 19-19 on the clutch i'eehanism will at all times be positioned within the slots 29-29. In applying this rotator to any standard type of: valve, such as described, all that is necessary to do is to remove the expansible spring from the valve stem to permit the insertion of the actuator, replace the and insert beneath the same the clutch unit, this latter being held in operative relation on the valve stem by the interlock afforded through the use of the cross key. During the operation oi the engine the valve will be intermittently unseated through the usual tappet mechanism and through this movement the lugs 19-l9 on the ring member 17 slide upwardly within the slots 29 29 in the actuator. The ring simply idles during this unseating movement, but on the down or seating stroke the action of the ball clutch within the parts is such as to interlock the ring with the member 8 aitixed to the valve stem which results in a positive rotary impulse to the valve. This rotary impulse is such as to continue while the valve is seating and results in a wiping action between the valve head and its seat, thereby removing any carbonaceous deposits which may be therebetween.

ll hat I claim is 1. The combination with a poppet valve, its seat and spring, a rotator for said valve comprising a flanged body aflizzed to the valve and having therein a peripheral toothed member, a ring surrounding the toothed member, a ball clutch between said ring and the toothed body, a cap having a rotative interlocking engagement with the flanged body for holding the peripheral toothed. member, the ring and the ball clutch in assembled relation, and means for actuating the ring during the operation of said valve.

2. The combination with a poppet valve, its seat and spring, a rotator for said valve conn sing a member attired to the same and having thereon a peripheral toothed lOOC y, an oscillatory ring supported on the member around the toothed body, a ball clutch between said ring and the toothed body, a

spring and a cap having interlocking en gagement with the afiixed member for holding the parts in assembled relation, said cap forming a bearing against which the lower end of the spring rests, and means for oscillating the ring during the operation of the valve.

3. In combination with a poppet valve, its seat and spring, a rotating mechanism for said valve comprising a clutch associated with the valve stem adjacent the end thereof and against which one end of the spring bears, and a yoke shaped member against which opposite end of the spring bears arranged exterior-1y of the spring and cooperating at its lower end with the clutch for actuating the latter during the operation of the valve.

4. In combination with a valve, its seat and spring, a rotating mechanism for said valve comprising a flanged body affixed to the valve stem, an oscillatory member associated with said flanged body and having between the same and the body a ball clutch, said oscillatory member provided with lugs projecting beyond the sides of the flanged body, a cap superimposed over the upper end of the flanged body, and rotatively interlocking therewith, and means operatively associated with the lugs on the oscillatory member for actuating the same during the operations of the valve.

5. The combination with a poppet valve, its seat and spring, a rotary mechanism for said valve, comprising a member afiixed to the valve stem and having associated therewith a series of teeth, a ring surrounding the teeth and having interposed therebetween a series of balls, a cap loosely mounted on the valve stem and against which the lower end of the spring bears, said cap having means for an interlocking engagement with the atfixed member, and means for actuating the ring during the operations of the valve.

(5. The combination with a poppet valve, its seat and spring, a rotator for said valve comprising a member affixed to the valve stem and having a central upstanding body portion with a peripheral toothed member thereabout, a loosely mounted cap on the valve stem rotatatively engaged with said body portion and having a flange corresponding in area to the base of the aflixed member, an oscillatory band interposed between the flange of the cap and the base of the affixed member, a series of' balls arranged between said band and the toothed member, and means for actuating the band during the operation of the valve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

MARCUS O. ANTHONY. 

